Conversion of Likert scale to Fuzzy Scale.

Dental academics are the foundation of dental institutions. They are mostly dental specialists and scientists driven by a passion for teaching and intellectual challenges. Although most have not been trained or certified as educators, they are tasked with educating the next generation of dentists within their fields of expertise. Beyond teaching, dental academics juggle multifaceted roles as educators, researchers, administrators, and clinicians. The effort to balance these multiple roles may lead dental academics to face identity conflicts, loss of work satisfaction and ultimately burnout and attrition from the workforce. Given the limited literature on defining faculty competencies and roles in medical and dental education, and an ongoing retention issues, it is crucial to clearly delineate these roles to assist dental academics establish their academic identity and plan their careers. This study aims to systematically define the specific roles of dental academics using the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM). Engaging 27 experts in the first round and 23 in the second, consensus was reached on items derived from evidence-based literature to define these roles. Analysis yielded 17 accepted items representing the four main roles of dental academics. Each primary role encompassed a diverse range of job descriptions, precluding a single, definitive description. The application of FDM not only refines the understanding of academic roles but also contributes to establishing the identity of dental academics, aiding their adaptation to the multiple roles and supporting their career advancement.

牙科学术人员是牙科院校的核心基石。他们大多为牙科专科医师与科研工作者，怀揣着对教学的热忱与对智力挑战的追求投身行业。尽管多数人并未接受过教育者相关的系统培训与资质认证，却肩负着在各自专业领域内培养下一代牙科医师的重任。除却教学工作之外，牙科学术人员还需兼顾教育者、研究者、管理者与临床医师等多重身份。平衡这些多元角色的压力，可能会令牙科学术人员陷入身份认同冲突，丧失工作满意度，最终引发职业倦怠乃至脱离劳动力队伍。鉴于目前针对医学与牙科教育领域的师资能力与角色界定的相关文献较为匮乏，且师资留存问题持续存在，清晰厘清这些角色定位，对于帮助牙科学术人员确立自身学术身份、规划职业发展至关重要。本研究旨在运用模糊德尔菲法（Fuzzy Delphi Method）系统界定牙科学术人员的具体角色。首轮调研邀请了27位专家参与，第二轮则有23位专家参与，最终基于循证文献衍生出的条目达成了共识。分析结果共得到17项被认可的条目，涵盖了牙科学术人员的四大核心角色。每一核心角色均包含丰富多样的工作职责范畴，无法用单一明确的描述加以概括。本研究应用模糊德尔菲法，不仅深化了对学术角色的认知，还有助于确立牙科学术人员的身份认同，助力其更好地适配多重角色，并为其职业发展提供支持。